This is a Milk Street Singapore Chicken Satay recipe that looks complicated but truly is not. But it IS impressive, super tasty and one you will serve tonight and wonder if it would be too soon to make it again today. If you make the marinade and dipping sauce earlier in the day, the cooking is quick and easy. You could do this on the grill but I opted to broil them in the oven using the Milk Street technique. The skewers are broiled on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. You line a baking sheet with tin foil, then pour 1 cup salt over the tinfoil, spreading it evenly. The salt absorbs the fat when it drips into the pan, preventing the fat from smoking. It worked like a dream!
A few quick notes, do not marinade the chicken for more than 3 hours as it gets too salty. And don’t substitute chicken breasts! Under high heat, they dry out and easily overcook. One other tip, the sauce is good on absolutely anything!
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 2 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger
- 6 medium garlic cloves, finely grated
- 1/4 cup of white sugar
- 3 tablespoons toasted peanut oil
- 2 tablespoons ground turmeric
- 4 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt (+ 1 cup salt for the baking sheet)
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut lengthwise into 1 inch wide strips
For the sauce
- 1/4 cup boiling water
- 1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 unseasoned rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- 2 tablespoons toasted peanut oil
- 2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger
- 1 medium clove of garlic, finely grated
- 2 teaspoons of chili-garlic sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/4 cup finely chopped salted dry-roasted peanuts
To prepare the chicken, in a large bowl combine the ginger, garlic, sugar, turmeric, cumin, 1 tablespoon of salt and 1/2 cup of water. Stir until the sugar dissolves, then add in chicken. Cover and refrigerate for 2-3 hours. If not ready to cook after 3 hours, pour off the marinade and continue to refrigerate until you are ready.
To make the sauce, in a medium bowl, whisk the boiling water and the peanut butter until smooth. Whisk in soy sauce, vinegar and sugar, then set aside. In a small skillet over medium heat, heat the oil, ginger and garlic. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, usually about 1 minute. Stir in the chili-garlic sauce and tumeric, then cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Whisk the garlic mixture into the soy mixture. Reserve 1/4 cup to baste the chicken. Cover and refrigerate the remaining sauce for serving.
About 30 minutes before skewering and cooking the chicken, remove the sauce from the fridge. Stir in the chopped peanuts. Heat the oven to broil with a rack about 4 inches from the element. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and spread 1 cup salt in an even layer over it. Set a wire rack over the baking sheet & salt and mist with cooking spray.
Drain the chicken in a colander. Thread 2-3 pieces of chicken onto each skewer, evenly dividing the meat and push pieces together, but not tightly packing them. Evenly place skewers on the wire rack.
Broil the chicken until it begins to brown, 5-7 minutes. Flip the skewers and continue to broil until the second side begin to brown, another 4-6 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush each skewer with 1-2 tablespoons of the reserved sauce. Continue to broil until well charred, 2-4 minutes. Remove from the oven again, flip the skewers and brush with another 1-2 tablespoons of the reserved sauce. Continue to broil until the second side begins to char and chicken is cooked through, another 2-4 minutes.
Serve immediately with dipping sauce.